Analysis of the Coordination Effects and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The text is interesting, but written a bit chaotically. In Chapter 2 Literature Review, the methodological parts are mixed with the theoretical background and research results - this requires ordering. Detailed notes below:

1. Please provide sources for all drawings. In Figure 1, an English-language graphic showing a wider geographic context would be more understandable to foreign readers.
2. Justify all text.
3. Please indicate the titles and citations of studies, not just the authors:
“Numerous Chinese and international scholars have made significant contributions to
this field. Professor Cheng Yu of the School of Business Administration at East China Nor-
mal University has conducted extensive research on the coordination between transport
and tourism development in China, emphasizing the need for a systematic planning and
management approach to ensure effective coordination between transport and tourism
development [6]. Professor Zhang Ying of the School of Geography at Nanjing Normal
University and Professor Zhang Chunyan of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management
ment at Nanjing University are two other prominent Chinese academics in the field.”

4. Please complete the methodological chapter, in which the objectives of the research / article, the methodology used, the scenario of the research procedure will be clearly formulated. Now, a brief paragraph on these goals is at the end of section 2.1 A review of typical opinion studies.
5. Put footnote [10] on page 11 inside the sentence.
6. I propose to combine chapters 5 and 6 - in fact they deal with the same issues. The discussion should correspond with the results of Chapter 4 and the aims of the article.

Author Response

Dear Editors and Reviewers:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region” (ID: sustainability-2414261). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing: Responds to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #1:

1) Response to comment: Please provide sources for all drawings. In Figure 1, an English-language graphic showing a wider geographic context would be more understandable to foreign readers.

Response: In response to your comments, I have made changes and indicated the source of the image information. This has been marked in red in the revised version.

2) Response to comment: Justify all text.

Response: Thanks for the heads up, we have re-aligned the text.

3) Response to comment: Please indicate the titles and citations of studies, not just the authors:
“Numerous Chinese and international scholars have made significant contributions to
this field. Professor Cheng Yu of the School of Business Administration at East China Nor-
mal University has conducted extensive research on the coordination between transport
and tourism development in China, emphasizing the need for a systematic planning and
management approach to ensure effective coordination between transport and tourism
development [6]. Professor Zhang Ying of the School of Geography at Nanjing Normal
University and Professor Zhang Chunyan of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management
ment at Nanjing University are two other prominent Chinese academics in the field.”

Response: In response to your suggestions, we have revised the relevant text in the literature review section as follows:

Numerous Chinese and international scholars have made significant contributions to this field. In China, for instance, Professor Cheng Yu of the School of Business Administration at East China Normal University conducted a comprehensive study on the coordination of transport and tourism development in his article titled "The impact of internet development on the efficiency of tourism economic growth - empirical evidence from China." He emphasises the need for a systematic approach to planning and administration to ensure effective coordination between the development of transport and tourism [6]. Other notable Chinese scholars in this field include Ma Xuefeng from the School of Public Administration and Human Geography at Hunan University of Technology and Business and Tan Jiaxin from the School of Tourism at Hunan Normal University. In their article 'The impact of transport accessibility on the resilience of tourism environmental systems and spatial spillover effects in the western Hunan region,' they note that improved transport accessibility has a direct impact on the resilience of to The spatial spillover effect on the economic and social environment system's resilience is positive and contributes to the environment system's overall resilience [7].

4) Response to comment: Please complete the methodological chapter, in which the objectives of the research / article, the methodology used, the scenario of the research procedure will be clearly formulated. Now, a brief paragraph on these goals is at the end of section 2.1 A review of typical opinion studies.

Response: In response to this recommendation, we have also made overall changes and added an overview of the methodology of the paper, dividing the discussion into the first sub-section of the next section, where a brief description of the relevant methods used and the overall purpose of the study are reflected. The specific changes are shown below:

5) Response to comment: Put footnote [10] on page 11 inside the sentence.

Response: Thanks to your reminder, we have made changes in the paper.

6) Response to comment: I propose to combine chapters 5 and 6 - in fact they deal with the same issues. The discussion should correspond with the results of Chapter 4 and the aims of the article.

Response: Thanks to your suggestions, we have reworked the Conclusions and Discussion sections, distinguishing between each of the more repetitive and convergent parts of the two sections. They have been marked in red in the text accordingly.

Special thanks to you for your good comments.

We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript. These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.

We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.

Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper is interesting. The authors have formulated an interesting research question of linking transportation and tourism development at the regional level. The interesting aspect they conceptualised is the coordination between the aspects of transportation and tourism development. While the authors' intent is appreciated, the execution of the study is flawed and the paper lacks clarity. The authors should look into the following to improve the paper.

The abstract should be rewritten to avoid long sentences and provide a clear background and objectives. Sentences should not start with numbers inside brackets.

The conceptualisation of the study is not clear and detailed. They speak about coordination but did not unpack it. The authors have not explained or articulated what coordination means in the context, what kind/type of coordination is considered, and what aspects of the two basic parts of the study- transportation and tourism development were considered.

Similarly, the authors mentioned exploring the influential factors, however, they have not explored any of them or established them. They just mentioned a few factors abstractly in Table 1 if I am not mistaken without offering any reasons for considering them as influential. 

The literature review (section 2) is poor. Section 2.1 is not properly aligned with the study and no in-depth and critical reviews have been made. The authors mentioned some names of scholars (which is rare) but did not adequately discuss the findings and implications of those studies as well as why are they relevant for this study.   I do not understand the purpose and relevancy of the section 2.2. If the authors have done an exhaustive literature review and they want to present the process, it could be fine but it should first be presented before the actual literature review and findings and their implications are articulated. 

Section 3 is cited as data and methodology, which does not sound right. It should either be Research methods/ Methodology and then data collection and Data analyses. 

The data collection part lacks adequate details. They have collected data from e Shaanxi Tourism Statistical Yearbook 2003- 2022, the Shaanxi Statistical Yearbook, and other government statistical publications from prior years. However, what data was collected, for what periods, in what units, why are they relevant and so on are not explained.  From where do they get the system indicators, sub-indicators and values? Why these indicators and sub-indicators should be acceptable? Are these influential factors and if yes, then, why?

The methodology used for analyses is not clear. Specifically how these equations were formulated? Are these equations and processes already existing and just contextualised? If not then how they have been formulated? Moreover, based on what data the weights were calculated and how the criteria for classification of coupling coordination levels were formulated. The authors have mentioned the use of regression effect modelling in the abstract, but no evidence of such modelling is found in the methodology section. The details on how Information entropy value e,  Information utility value d, and Weighting factor w  were calculated should be explained. Similarly, how the result presented in Table 5 were obtained should be explained. Furthermore, how the Coordination level, Degree of coupling coordination and Coordination phase were decided should be explained. The articulation of section 4.3.2 seems to be an extension of section 4.3.1. So both sections should be re-aligned or restructured for better readability. Figure 3 should be more clear and presented more carefully.

The discussion on the influential factor seems to be based on literature. No empirical analyses related to this aspect are observed (unless I missed something). However, the literature review is not robust and detailed enough to observe the influential factors. This should be realigned with section 2 and section 2 should be more detailed and critical. Without a critical evaluation and contextualising to the study context, the influential factors cannot be delineated and recommendations should not be made to this effect as made by the authors.

Section 5.2 should be aligned with the results obtained and in alignment with the findings from the literature. 

Although the paper has some value and could contribute to the literature, at its current state it lacks clarity and methodological robustness. It needs significant work.

 

 

The paper needs significant language editing. Some sentences (For example in the abstract) start with a bracket and number. Repetitions are also observed in articulation.

Author Response

Dear Editors and Reviewers:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region” (ID: sustainability-2414261). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing: Responds to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #2:

1) Response to comment: The abstract should be rewritten to avoid long sentences and provide a clear background and objectives. Sentences should not start with numbers inside brackets.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion. We have rewritten the abstract section and removed the brackets from the abstract to reorganise the overall language framework. The specific changes are as follows:

This study aims to investigate the coordination effects and influencing factors between Shaanxi's tourism economy and transportation. To achieve this, we developed a tourism economy-transportation evaluation index system and employed a combination of the system coupling coordination model and the entropy value method for a thorough analysis. The research spans from 2003 to 2021. According to the study's findings, the coupling coordination between tourism economy-transportation and tourism development in Shaanxi demonstrates an upward trend in development. Throughout the evolutionary process, the degree of coupling coordination has progressed from uncoordinated development to transformational development to coordinated development, with the recent epidemic disruption resulting in a primary level of coordination. Moreover, the transport system has a significant impact on the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism economy-tourism development, with the size of the transport base and transport efficiency serving as driving factors, and transport pressure and epidemic shocks serving as influential factors. The coordination of the tourism system declines sharply in 2020 due to the fluctuations of the global epidemic, but recovers in 2021 as the epidemic progressively stabilises. Through this study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the tourism economy and transport in Shaanxi and devise strategies and policies to support the development of sustainable transport and tourism systems.

2) Response to comment: The data collection part lacks adequate details. They have collected data from e Shaanxi Tourism Statistical Yearbook 2003- 2022, the Shaanxi Statistical Yearbook, and other government statistical publications from prior years. However, what data was collected, for what periods, in what units, why are they relevant and so on are not explained.  From where do they get the system indicators, sub-indicators and values? Why these indicators and sub-indicators should be acceptable? Are these influential factors and if yes, then, why?

Response: Thanks to your reminder, we have listed and formed Table 2 of the data obtained accordingly, and the whole paper is based on the analysis of this data set, which may have been missing before and which we have now added. The sources of these data are also noted in detail. The specific changes are as follows:

"Tourism development - transportation" is a complex system of mutual influence and interconnection; current academic research on the coupled development of the tourism economy and transportation has not yet established a unified index system construction standard. In the selection of indicators, the article adheres to the principles of periodicity, systematicity, scientificity, rationality, and data availability, taking into account the requirements for high-quality tourism development in the new era and drawing on prior relevant research [10-12], and selects nine indicators from five levels of criteria to establish the "tourism development-transportation evaluation index system" (Table 1). Table 1 displays the "transport evaluation index system."

The tourism economy sub-system is based on the tourism scale and tourism efficiency dimensions, and three evaluation indicators are chosen: the total tourism revenue (T), the total number of visitor arrivals (R), and the total profit of the tourism catering enterprises (P). The transport sub-system has chosen six evaluation indicators in three dimensions based on the "foundation-flow-support" system: railway mileage (L), road mileage (H), railway passenger traffic (W), passenger turnover (N), the number of newly registered civilian passenger vehicles (E), and the number of road vehicles (V). The basic indicators characterise the basic construction of the transport system, whereas the flow indicators characterise the passenger flow.

Article data is derived from the Shaanxi Tourism Statistical Yearbook and the Shaanxi Statistical Yearbook 2003-2022 (annual summaries published on the websites of the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Culture and Tourism). Table 2 contains information such as total tourism revenue (T), number of tourists (R), and total profit of tourism-type catering enterprises (P), railway operating mileage (L), road operating mileage (H), railway passenger traffic (W), passenger turnover (N), newly registered civilian passenger vehicle holdings (E), and road operating vehicle holdings (V).

3) Response to comment: The methodology used for analyses is not clear. Specifically how these equations were formulated? Are these equations and processes already existing and just contextualised? If not then how they have been formulated? Moreover, based on what data the weights were calculated and how the criteria for classification of coupling coordination levels were formulated. The authors have mentioned the use of regression effect modelling in the abstract, but no evidence of such modelling is found in the methodology section. The details on how Information entropy value e,  Information utility value d, and Weighting factor w  were calculated should be explained. Similarly, how the result presented in Table 5 were obtained should be explained. Furthermore, how the Coordination level, Degree of coupling coordination and Coordination phase were decided should be explained. The articulation of section 4.3.2 seems to be an extension of section 4.3.1. So both sections should be re-aligned or restructured for better readability. Figure 3 should be more clear and presented more carefully.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion, we have made changes to address the relevant issues you mentioned. Also for the information entropy value e, the information utility value d and the weighting factor w, we have reworked the derivations and marked them in red in the text. The specific details can be seen below:

3.3 Entropy value method for determining weights

Entropy is a measure of unpredictability. The more information there is, the less uncertainty there is and the lower the entropy; conversely, the less information there is, the more uncertainty there is and the higher the entropy. Consequently, the information carried by the entropy value is used to calculate the weights, and the tool of information entropy is used to calculate the weights of each indicator, in conjunction with the degree of variation of each indicator, to provide a foundation for the comprehensive evaluation of multiple indicators.

(1) Information entropy value e formula

1. Calculate the weight of the i-th sample value under the jth indicator. As shown in equation (2):

 

1. Calculate the information entropy (column) of each indicator. As shown in equation (3):

 

In the formula, k = 1/ln(n).

(2) Information utility value d formula

The correlation is shown in equation (4):

 

(3) Weighting factor w

The correlation is shown in equation (5):

 

4.3 Coupled coordination analysis: analysis of the correlation between the tourism economy and transport and the evolutionary trajectory of coordination

The research presented in the graphs below (Table 6 and Figure 3) demonstrates an upward trend in the Shaanxi region's tourism-related economic development from 2003 to 2021. The Tourism Economy and Transport Coordination Index grew at an average annual rate of 25.9% from 0.012 in 2003 to 0.504 in 2021. This indicates significant progress in the development of Shaanxi's tourism industry and an improvement in the overall condition of its transportation infrastructure. Comparing the tourism economy and transport coordination indices reveals, however, that the coordination indices of tourism economy and transport (K(x) and U(y)) in the Shaanxi region reach a peak between 2018 and 2020, followed by a downward trend for both indices after 2020.

From 2003 to 2021, the trend of development for coupling coordination in Shaanxi has steadily improved. The degree of coupling coordination increased from 0.106 in 2003 to its maximum value of 0.95 in 2018, with the coupling coordination level shifting from severe disorder to high-quality coordination and the coordination effect shifting from feeble to strong. The development of coupling coordination has experienced phases of uncoordinated growth (2003-2008), transformational growth (2009-2013), coordinated growth (2014-2019), and epidemic shock (2020-2021). Except for the jolt during the epidemic, the other segments demonstrate a steady progression of development. Based on existing research, coupled coordination is divided into the uncoordinated development phase, the transition development phase, the coordinated development phase, and the epidemic shock phase, which includes three types of lagging tourism economy, coordinated tourism economy, and lagging external shock.

In particular:

(1) The phase of uncoordinated development (2003-2008) was characterised by a "lagging tourism economy." During this period, the coupling coordination index increased at an average annual rate of 4.9%, from 0.106 in 2003 to 0.397 in 2008. However, the coupling coordination index remains below 0.2, indicating that the level of coupling coordination is low and belongs to the stage of uncoordinated development. The tourism economy index is less than the transport index (K(x) U(y)), indicating that the tourism economy system has a larger impact on the level of coordination between the tourism economy and transport.

(2) The transition period (2009-2013) is also classified as a "lagging tourism economy." In a period of transitional development, the level of coupling coordination increased from feeble to strong, reaching 0.697 in 2013 with an average annual growth rate of 4.5%. The tourism economy index is still less than the transport index (K(x) U(y)), indicating that the coupling coordination type is still tourism economy underperforming. At this juncture, tourism in Shaanxi expands further, transport conditions continue to improve, and the degree of coupling and coordination rises.

(3) Coordinated development era (2014-2019) The type of development is "tourism economy coordination." During this time period, the coupling coordination degree increased from 0.738 in 2014 to 0.95 in 2018, with an overall upward trend. The tourism economy index and the transport economy index reach equilibrium (K(x) = U(y)), and the type of coupling coordination shifts to tourism economy coordination, with an overall positive trajectory and at the apex of development.

(4) The epidemic shock phase (2020-2021) is a form of development known as a "lagging external shock." In this period, the degree of coupling coordination decreases by 11.7%, from 0.828 in 2019 to 0.595 in 2020. The tourism economic index is currently out of balance with the transport coordination index (K(x) U(y)) and in the external shock delayed stage. During this phase, the scope of tourism in the Shaanxi region was affected and startled by the epidemic, and coupling coordination was reduced due to unanticipated external disturbances.

4) Response to comment: The discussion on the influential factor seems to be based on literature. No empirical analyses related to this aspect are observed (unless I missed something). However, the literature review is not robust and detailed enough to observe the influential factors. This should be realigned with section 2 and section 2 should be more detailed and critical. Without a critical evaluation and contextualising to the study context, the influential factors cannot be delineated and recommendations should not be made to this effect as made by the authors. Section 5.2 should be aligned with the results obtained and in alignment with the findings from the literature.

Response: Thanks to your suggestion, we have explored the discussion section further and re-described the relevant text, with the revised parts marked in the text as well. The relevant text is shown below:

5. Discussion:

5.1 Analysis of factors influencing coupling coordination

This study found that the transportation system has the greatest impact on the coupled and coordinated development of Shaanxi's tourism economy and transportation. Transport pressure and epidemic disruptions are major determinants of coupled and coordinated development [15].

From 2003 to 2021, Shaanxi's coupling coordination between the tourism economy and transportation demonstrates a positive development trend throughout the various phases of development. During the stage of uncoordinated development and the stage of transitional development, the Shaanxi region promotes the rapid growth of tourism revenue by increasing the scale of tourism and utilising the economies of scale effect in tourism. During the stage of coordinated development, the Shaanxi region prioritises tourism benefits and the sustainable growth of the tourism economy. Nevertheless, the global pandemic had a ripple effect on the tourism industry, resulting in a precipitous decline in overall coordination. In 2021, as the epidemic was progressively brought under control, overall coordination improved.

In the event of an epidemic shock, the coordinated development of the tourism system in 2020 and 2021 would be significantly impacted [16]. The global contagion precipitated a precipitous decline in overall coordination in 2020, with a significant impact on the tourism industry and transportation system [17]. As vaccination rates rise, tourism will recover more rapidly, but there is still a need for vigilance regarding the impact of reemerging and mutating viruses on the tourism industry [18].

Additionally, the pandemic has had a substantial impact on the tourism transportation system. During the outbreak, international and domestic flights were restricted and a significant number of flights were cancelled, disrupting the normal operations of the tourism transportation system [19]. Concurrently, traffic restrictions and regulations were implemented to prevent the spread of the disease, which had an effect on the tourism transportation system [20]. Future tourism development must pay more attention to the healthy development of the tourism transport system and enhance its emergency response capacity in order to assure the tourism industry's sustainable development [21].

To promote the qualitative development of the tourism industry in Shaanxi, it is necessary to continue focusing on the construction of transport infrastructure and enhance the coordination of transport benefits and constraints. Additionally, attention must be paid to the impact of global epidemics on tourism, and crisis management and emergency response capabilities must be strengthened.

5.2 Coordinated development of regional tourism

Shaanxi's tourism industry has always been a significant pillar industry. To accomplish the coordinated development of the tourism economy and ecological environment, it is still necessary to pay attention to the coordinated effect of transport and tourism development and its influencing factors [22]. To further promote the coordinated development of the tourism economy and ecological environment, the relevant authorities in Shaanxi should continue to strengthen the construction of transport infrastructure, improve tourism services, and prioritise environmental protection, the protection of natural resources, and the preservation of cultural heritage. In formulating strategic tourism development policies and plans, the natural, cultural, and historical characteristics of the Shaanxi region should be taken into full account, and the central location of the Silk Road should be utilised to create a tourism brand with Shaanxi characteristics in order to increase the region's overall tourism attractiveness [23]. In addition, rural tourism and ecotourism should be aggressively developed in Shaanxi, and the production of environmentally friendly tourism services should be encouraged. Through the establishment of development models such as green tourism economy industrial parks, eco-tourism towns, and rural tourism demonstration zones, the traditional tourism industry should be transformed to achieve mutual benefits for the tourism industry and the ecological environment [24]. In order to promote the sustainable development of the tourism economy and the ecological environment [25], it is also necessary to enhance the ecological compensation mechanism of the tourism industry and to accelerate the construction of ecological civilisation. Lastly, in the context of the 'double carbon' objective, Shaanxi should raise tourists' awareness of low-carbon consumption through publicity and education, promote new eco-friendly tourism methods, and cultivate travellers who practise low-carbon concepts in order to realise a new path of coordinated tourism and ecological development.

Special thanks to you for your good comments.

We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript. These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.

We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.

Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

It was with great interest that I read the article “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region”. The subject of the study is actual and very pertinent taking into account the current relationship between tourism and transportation.

Taking in account this version of the article, I believe some improvements are needed. I hope that the following suggestions can serve as a guide for the authors to revise and to improve the final manuscript:

1. Abstract: I miss I little bit of introduction/background before the purpose.

2. Introduction section: The source of figure 1 is missing. From my point of view introduction should be improved. For instance, some data about the dimension of the tourism activity in Shaanxi Region.

3. Review of Research: Authors should make an effort to comply with the structure defined by the journal. This section should be called the Literature Review. This section should be improved, and the contributions of the studies presented can be explored a little further.

4. Data and Methodology section: in the second paragraph after the table 1, the information on the statistical data analyzed must indicate the source.

5. Conclusion section: I recommend the authors to summarize the main contribution of this research, explain the practical implications and the main limitations of the research as well as future research directions.

6. The list of references should be improved.

Author Response

Dear Editors and Reviewers:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region” (ID: sustainability-2414261). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing: Responds to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #3:

1) Response to comment:  Abstract: I miss I little bit of introduction/background before the purpose.

Response: Thank you for your suggestion. In response to your suggestion, we have re-structured the summary section and have marked it in red in the text. The details are shown below:

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the coordination effects and influencing factors between Shaanxi's tourism economy and transportation. To achieve this, we developed a tourism economy-transportation evaluation index system and employed a combination of the system coupling coordination model and the entropy value method for a thorough analysis. The research spans from 2003 to 2021. According to the study's findings, the coupling coordination between tourism economy-transportation and tourism development in Shaanxi demonstrates an upward trend in development. Throughout the evolutionary process, the degree of coupling coordination has progressed from uncoordinated development to transformational development to coordinated development, with the recent epidemic disruption resulting in a primary level of coordination. Moreover, the transport system has a significant impact on the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism economy-tourism development, with the size of the transport base and transport efficiency serving as driving factors, and transport pressure and epidemic shocks serving as influential factors. The coordination of the tourism system declines sharply in 2020 due to the fluctuations of the global epidemic, but recovers in 2021 as the epidemic progressively stabilises. Through this study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the tourism economy and transport in Shaanxi and devise strategies and policies to support the development of sustainable transport and tourism systems.

2) Response to comment: Introduction section: The source of figure 1 is missing. From my point of view introduction should be improved. For instance, some data about the dimension of the tourism activity in Shaanxi Region.

Response: Thanks to your reminder, we have added data relating to tourism activities in the Shaanxi region, which is highlighted in red in the revised version of the manuscript. The details are shown below:

Shaanxi, located in the northwestern region of China (Figure 1), is renowned for its abundant cultural heritage and tourist attractions. As one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilization, it has a rich history and culture that attracts tourists from around the globe [1]. Shaanxi's tourism industry has developed rapidly in recent years, with tourism revenues increasing from less than 200 billion yuan in 2012 to nearly 600 billion yuan in 2018, a 3.5-fold increase in seven years and an average annual compound growth rate of 23.21%, making it a significant economic contributor to the region. Nevertheless, tourism cannot exist in a vacuum, and transport plays a crucial role in supporting and promoting tourism development [2]. The region's attractions must be readily and efficiently accessible by means of a dependable transport system [3]. Similarly, tourism can fuel the development of transport infrastructure as the transport network expands to accommodate travellers' requirements [4].

3) Response to comment: Review of Research: Authors should make an effort to comply with the structure defined by the journal. This section should be called the Literature Review. This section should be improved, and the contributions of the studies presented can be explored a little further.

Response: Thanks to your suggestion, we have changed the title of the original research review to that of the literature review and have made some changes to the corresponding section of this chapter, which we have marked in red in the text accordingly.

4) Response to comment: Data and Methodology section: in the second paragraph after the table 1, the information on the statistical data analyzed must indicate the source.

Response: In response to your suggestion, we have labelled the statistics in detail and formed a summary of the raw data in Table 2, and the overall analysis is based on the raw data in Table 2. We may have inadvertently not listed the relevant data we cited previously, but our overall analysis has always been based on this data set.

5) Response to comment: Conclusion section: I recommend the authors to summarize the main contribution of this research, explain the practical implications and the main limitations of the research as well as future research directions.

Response: In accordance with your proposal, we have reorganised and reformulated the concluding section, as shown below:

Conclusion： This study examines the coordination effect of tourism economy and transportation in the Shaanxi region from 2003 to 2021, as well as its influencing factors, by constructing an evaluation index system for tourism economy and transportation and utilising a comprehensive system coupling coordination model and regression effect model. The results of the research indicate that the degree of coordination between the tourism economy and transport in the Shaanxi region has improved steadily throughout the study period. This degree of coordination has undergone four phases: uncoordinated development, transformational development, coordinated development, and epidemic shock. The coupling coordination level evolved progressively from severe dissonance to quality coordination and then regressed to primary coordination during the epidemic. We observe that tourism economic lag, tourism economic coordination, and external shock lag are three distinct forms of growth. The Shaanxi region's tourism economy and transport coordination are significantly more influenced by the transport system, according to additional analysis. Transport pressure and epidemic disruptions are significant factors influencing the development of coordination, whereas the scale of the transport infrastructure and the efficacy of transport are significant factors propelling its growth. Specifically, the global epidemic had a significant impact on the tourism industry's sustainability in 2020 and 2021, when overall coordination was severely impacted and plummeted off a cliff, and in 2021, when the epidemic stabilised, when overall coordination partially recovered. To achieve sustainable tourism development, emphasis must be placed on developing the transport system, enhancing the scale of the transport infrastructure and transport efficiency, and bolstering the response to the epidemic to ensure the coordinated development of the tourism economy and transport. Other factors that may influence the degree of coordination between the tourism economy and transportation can be investigated in greater depth in future research, and more specific policies and strategies can be devised to promote coordinated development.

6) Response to comment: The list of references should be improved.

Response:Thanks to your reminder, we have compiled the references and also added and cited new ones, which are reflected in the text accordingly. 

Special thanks to you for your good comments.

We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript. These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.

We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.

Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper is improved reasonably. The authors have addressed the comments reasonably. 

The authors should strengthen the Literature review so that the influential factors are delineated from it.  Perhaps they can provide a Table showing the influential factors and their sources and why are they relevant to the study.

The English language is acceptable, but some minor corrections related to sentence structure, grammar and readability may be needed. 

Author Response

Dear Editors and Reviewers:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region” (ID: sustainability-2414261). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing: Responds to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #2:

1) Response to comment: The authors should strengthen the Literature review so that the influential factors are delineated from it.  Perhaps they can provide a Table showing the influential factors and their sources and why are they relevant to the study. 

Response: Thank you for your suggestion. According to your suggestion, we have arranged and revised the literature review again. A brief chapter on the relationship between influencing factors is added. Changes are also highlighted in red throughout the text. The relevant information is as follows:

2.2 Overview of the interrelationship of influencing factors

Examining the coordination of transport and tourism development reveals a strong relationship and interaction between the influencing factors. These factors include government policy, transportation infrastructure, demand for tourism, and the participation of local communities. The degree of coordination between transportation and tourism development is determined by their mutual interaction.

This is evident from Figure 2's depiction of the impact relationship between transport and tourism coordination:

First, government policy is crucial to the relationship between transport and tourism development. Transport and tourism can be developed simultaneously through the implementation of government policies and plans. For instance, when planning for tourism development, governments can consider constructing and enhancing transport infrastructure to meet tourism demand and enhance accessibility. Similarly, governments develop appropriate transport strategies to guarantee the seamless operation of tourism activities [10] in order to ensure that transport networks are well-developed and functional. Transport and tourism development require sound direction and support from government policies in order to develop in a coordinated manner.

Second, the coordination of transport and tourism development is significantly influenced by the transport infrastructure. Good transport infrastructure can provide convenient access to tourist destinations. For instance, the construction and enhancement of transport modes and facilities such as highways, railroads, and airlines can enhance tourism accessibility, attract more tourists, and promote tourism. Simultaneously, the development of transport infrastructure can increase access to local communities and enhance the quality of life for locals [11]. Therefore, one of the most essential factors for attaining coherence between transport and tourism development is the investment and development of infrastructure that is responsive to tourism demand.

Another essential factor influencing the coordination of transport and tourism development is tourism demand. The expansion and alteration of tourism demand impose new demands on the transport system. With the development of tourism, for instance, the increase in tourism demand may cause traffic congestion and capacity constraints. Understanding and addressing the transport requirements of visitors, as well as providing a variety of transport options and services, are crucial to attaining coherence between transport development and tourism [12]. Coordination of transport and tourism development depends on the participation and cooperation of local communities. Local communities are a vital component of tourism destinations, and their input and participation are essential to the development of effective transport planning and policies. Understanding the requirements and concerns of local communities through close cooperation and communication can lead to consensus, reduce conflict, and promote coordinated development in transport and tourism [13].

Government policy, transport infrastructure, tourism demand, and the participation of local communities are significant determinants of the coordination between transport and tourism development. They have an interdependent relationship and mutual influence. Sustainable transport and tourism development can only be reached through the integrated consideration and coordination of these factors, thereby contributing to economic and social development. Future research should therefore investigate these factors' interrelationships and ties in greater depth and propose policies and strategies to facilitate the coordination of transport and tourism development.

Figure 2. Relationship between factors influencing the coordination of transportation and tourism.

Special thanks to you for your good comments.

We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript. These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.

We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.

Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Thank you for submitting the revised version of your paper. I appreciate the work done by the Authors, which resulted in its improvement. Congratulations on that. Regarding this new version presented I would point out the following:

-        In the abstract the reader is not situated on the subject that will be treated in the article. It starts right away with the objective, but from my point of view, there is still a lack of an introduction to the subject that contextualizes the work. It is one or two sentences at the very beginning of the abstract.

-        Literature Review had an improvement but not enough from my point of view.

Author Response

Dear Editors and Reviewers:

Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Analysis of the Coordinated Effect and Influencing Factors of Transportation and Tourism Development in Shaanxi Region” (ID: sustainability-2414261). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing: Responds to the reviewer’s comments:

Reviewer #3:

1) Response to comment:  In the abstract the reader is not situated on the subject that will be treated in the article. It starts right away with the objective, but from my point of view, there is still a lack of an introduction to the subject that contextualizes the work. It is one or two sentences at the very beginning of the abstract.

Response: Thanks for your suggestion, we have revised the abstract to include a thematic discussion and background statement at the beginning of the abstract. The related modification information is as follows:

Abstract: With the accelerated growth of global tourism and the increasing availability of transport, the coordination and interaction between the tourism economy and transport have become a topic of great interest. This study seeks to analyse the coordination effects and influencing factors between Shaanxi's tourism economy and transportation, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the region's tourism economy. To achieve this, we develop a tourism economy-transportation evaluation index system and employ the system coupling coordination model and entropy method to conduct a thorough analysis. The research spans the years 2003 through 2021. According to the findings of this study, the integration and coordination of tourism economy-transportation and tourism development in Shaanxi are exhibiting an upward trend towards improved development. During the evolutionary process, the degree of coupling coordination has progressed through stages of uncoordinated development, transformational development, and coordinated development, with the recent epidemic upheaval resulting in a primary level of coordination. In addition, the transport system has a significant impact on the coupled and coordinated development of the tourism economy-tourism development, with the size of the transport base and transport efficiency serving as driving factors and transport pressure and epidemic shocks serving as significant influencing factors. Due to the fluctuations of the global pandemic, the coordination of the tourism system declines sharply in 2020, but recovers in 2021 as the pandemic progressively stabilises. Through this study, we can gain a better understanding of the relationship between the tourism economy and transport in Shaanxi and devise strategies and policies to support the development of sustainable transport and tourism systems.

2) Response to comment: Literature Review had an improvement but not enough from my point of view.

Response: Thanks for your reminding, we have reorganized and revised the literature review. An overview of the analysis of the relationship between transportation and tourism development has been added. At the same time, we have also drawn the influence relationship analysis chart to conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the influencing factors related to transportation and tourism. In the text, we have also marked the modified parts in red. The specific information is as follows:

2.2 Overview of the interrelationship of influencing factors

Examining the coordination of transport and tourism development reveals a strong relationship and interaction between the influencing factors. These factors include government policy, transportation infrastructure, demand for tourism, and the participation of local communities. The degree of coordination between transportation and tourism development is determined by their mutual interaction.

This is evident from Figure 2's depiction of the impact relationship between transport and tourism coordination:

First, government policy is crucial to the relationship between transport and tourism development. Transport and tourism can be developed simultaneously through the implementation of government policies and plans. For instance, when planning for tourism development, governments can consider constructing and enhancing transport infrastructure to meet tourism demand and enhance accessibility. Similarly, governments develop appropriate transport strategies to guarantee the seamless operation of tourism activities [10] in order to ensure that transport networks are well-developed and functional. Transport and tourism development require sound direction and support from government policies in order to develop in a coordinated manner.

Second, the coordination of transport and tourism development is significantly influenced by the transport infrastructure. Good transport infrastructure can provide convenient access to tourist destinations. For instance, the construction and enhancement of transport modes and facilities such as highways, railroads, and airlines can enhance tourism accessibility, attract more tourists, and promote tourism. Simultaneously, the development of transport infrastructure can increase access to local communities and enhance the quality of life for locals [11]. Therefore, one of the most essential factors for attaining coherence between transport and tourism development is the investment and development of infrastructure that is responsive to tourism demand.

Another essential factor influencing the coordination of transport and tourism development is tourism demand. The expansion and alteration of tourism demand impose new demands on the transport system. With the development of tourism, for instance, the increase in tourism demand may cause traffic congestion and capacity constraints. Understanding and addressing the transport requirements of visitors, as well as providing a variety of transport options and services, are crucial to attaining coherence between transport development and tourism [12]. Coordination of transport and tourism development depends on the participation and cooperation of local communities. Local communities are a vital component of tourism destinations, and their input and participation are essential to the development of effective transport planning and policies. Understanding the requirements and concerns of local communities through close cooperation and communication can lead to consensus, reduce conflict, and promote coordinated development in transport and tourism [13].

Government policy, transport infrastructure, tourism demand, and the participation of local communities are significant determinants of the coordination between transport and tourism development. They have an interdependent relationship and mutual influence. Sustainable transport and tourism development can only be reached through the integrated consideration and coordination of these factors, thereby contributing to economic and social development. Future research should therefore investigate these factors' interrelationships and ties in greater depth and propose policies and strategies to facilitate the coordination of transport and tourism development.

Figure 2. Relationship between factors influencing the coordination of transportation and tourism.

Special thanks to you for your good comments.

We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript. These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.

We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.

Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf